A substantial number of card games have proven popular forms of entertainment for the players and, in some cases, for observers of the card games. Widely played card games include various versions of Solitaire. Like many such classic card games, Solitaire card games have been computerized and can be found on commonly available media used by computers. Traditional Solitaire is played by a single player and has well-known card layouts and rules for the player. Certain Solitaire-related card games have been devised that require two or more players, one of these currently played games is identified as "Multiple Klondike." A related version is identified as "Klondike For Two." In the Multiple Klondike game, each player has a unique deck and deals cards to the well-known layout of seven tableau piles. All remaining cards start out in the hand. Start of play is simultaneous, with each player playing to common foundations. In the Klondike For Two game, players share common foundations, but take turns playing. Play moves to the next player when a player turns three cards over from the hand. In both versions of Klondike games, the winner is the player first to play all cards to the foundations. If play is blocked for all players, the player with the most foundation cards played wins. In the Multiple Klondike card games, certain card playing conflicts can arise. For example, two players may attempt to simultaneously play the same card to the same foundation. When this is done manually by the players, the first arriving card remains, while the second arriving card is returned to its originating point by the player attempting to make this play.
Another solitaire-related card game involving multiple players is known as "Spit". In accordance with the rules of this card game, players deal out five tableau piles in similar fashion to the seven tableau piles when playing the Klondike games. All remaining cards go to the hand pile. The cards in the hand pile are the "spit" cards. Each player turns one spit card up in the foundations. Any player may play from the players tableaus to the foundations in either incrementing or decrementing card rank, with alternating color. When further play is blocked for all players, another "spit" card is played to the foundations by each player creating potential play possibilities. Play ends when one player plays all of his cards to the foundations. Like the Multiple Klondike card game, two players may simultaneously attempt to play to the same foundation and the first arriving card succeeds or plays.
Although computerized implementations of single player solitaire are now commonplace in the software entertainment field, solitaire-related card games requiring multiple players are not. These card games offer challenges and present problems in a computer environment that are not found with single-player solitaire. This is especially true in the field of computerized online card playing. The Internet and online services, such as AOL (America Online), allow players to connect through their telephone lines to a common interconnected network. Such network media allow players to play computer games online through the transmission of card playing data and communication of other information related to playing computer games online. When playing online solitaire-related card games, unique problems and challenges arise due to the different locations of the computers that are utilized, including the computers used by the players and the computer used in monitoring or controlling the card plays.